The UPA's voice of credible experience

As the new Ministers in the Union Council of Ministers, young and old, gathered at Raisina Hill on October 28 to take oath of office, a number of young Ministers themselves rushed to a tall, bespectacled official for some advice on their new responsibilities.

Such is the aura of the country's national security advisor, Shiv Shankar Menon.

The 63-year-old officer is one of the Prime Minister's most trusted aides. He joined the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) as a rank outsider, but over the years he has won the confidence and respect of top UPA ministers, who he regularly briefs on external and internal security issues.

His past responsibility as foreign secretary has also added to his credibility as a crisis manager.

The insiders have it that Menon's inputs on former foreign minister SM Krishna sealed the latter's fate in the cabinet. What has made him important is his critical insights into a host of national security challenges.

At a recent meeting of top intelligence and security officers on Left Wing extremism, many listened with rapt attention as Menon explained his views on how Maoists have become one of the country's biggest security threats.

A week before that, he unveiled yet another path-breaking strategy on cyber security, an initiative he had pushed hard with the government.

All the critical information meant for the Prime Minister and his national security team flows through him. With stints as Indian envoy to China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Israel, Menon has a previous experience of working closely with the security establishment.

A suave diplomat, he has been able to navigate through the complex web of intelligence and security set up because the IPS and armed forces have found him more responsive, said a security official who has worked closely with him. Menon, who will complete three years in office in January 2013, has become important not because of the post he occupies but because the former diplomat has developed an ability to speak his mind and give an honest opinion.

He may not enjoy the rapport that Brajesh Mishra shared with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but in the present set up, Manmohan relies heavily on Shankar's advice on important matters.

Some officials recall that when other bureaucrats would merely nod in the intelligence meetings of the then home minister, P Chidambaram, Menon would tell the leader why his policy was not really helping the cause, and why a calibrated approach was a good idea.

On NCTC, he made a reasoned pitch with the political leadership on why it was a good idea, even though he wasn't successful in implementing it.

While his imprint is visible on foreign policies, many accuse him of running the foreign ministry by proxy.

The fact remains that he runs security dialogue with almost half-a-dozen countries and his advice on foreign policies is rarely ignored by the PM and the foreign minister.

His importance stems from the fact that his view is sought on all big-ticket government appointments.

A senior official in South Block was being touted as a strong contender for the post of a crucial secretary as he enjoyed the support of a minister.

When Menon was asked about the official, he reasoned his objection in two sentences before telling the minister that the final decision lay with him.

Within days, the official's appointment was turned down by the authorities. Whatever his official duties might be, it is clear that the NSA has become the government's principal crisis manager.

The lady takes the limelight

Aung San Suu Kyi is stealing all the limelight

Aung San Suu Kyi had a rock star following during her visit to India, from the school kids at the Lodhi Gardens to the top politicians and captains of industry, all queued up to get a photograph with the Burmese Opposition leader, whose struggle for democracy in her homeland has won her iconic global status.

Her magnetic charm was visible at Hyderabad House at an official dinner hosted by the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid where Suu Kyi seated at the centre of had a tough time finishing her dinner, with even the celebrity guests making a beeline to get her autograph and capturing it on their cell phone, a rare thing in state dinners at Hyderabad House.

With Suu Kyi all set to be the leader of Burma post 2015, if the constitution is amended, India must ensure that there is regular contact between her and our leadership, at all levels.

Infact at regular intervals it would make ample strategic sense for UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the PM to pick up the phone to speak to her regularly about how India can help with Burma's democracy.

Sometimes the personal touch to diplomacy matters a lot, and it is important that India understands the real impact of the Suu Kyi phenomenon.